French citizens are being asked to fulfill their patriotic duty by eating more cheese to help the dairy industry amid a massive surplus due to the coronavirus pandemic. Sales of certain cheeses have dropped as much as 60%, since cheese makers can no longer sell to restaurants and open-air markets were forced to close. During the nationwide lockdown, consumers shunned “pleasure” foods like traditional cheeses and instead stocked up on more essential dairy products like milk, butter and cream. Of the 2,000 tons of cheese that should have been sold during the month of April, 1,500 remain unsold. The patriotic call echos one in Belgium, where citizens have been asked to eat more potatoes.

Sunday, June 7, 2020

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On This Day

1968 Sirhan Sirhan is indicted for the assassination of US Senator Robert Kennedy. He was sentenced to life in prison. He has been up for parole 15 times, denied each time on the grounds that he has not expressed adequate remorse for his crime.

Fact of the Day

The 1883 Eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia was so loud that it was heard over 3,000 miles away, which is the equivalent of hearing a sound from Ireland while you are in Boston. It ruptured the eardrums of sailors over 40 miles away.

Nature Oddities

Rats can go up to 2 weeks without water, longer than camels, who can only go 3-5 days without water.

Food and Drink

English legend claims that the name “sirloin steak” comes from when King James I of England was so impressed by the quality of his steak that he knighted the loin of beef, which was referred to thereafter as “Sirloin.”